Crystal structure of a novel mid-gut procarboxypeptidase from the cotton pest Helicoverpa armigera.

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the most serious insect pests in Australia, India and China. The larva causes substantial economical losses to legume, fibre, cereal oilseed and vegetable crops. This pest has proven to be difficult to control by conventional means, mainly due to the development of pesticide resistance. We present here the 2.5 A crystal structure from the novel procarboxypeptidase (PCPAHa) found in the gut extracts from H. armigera larvae, the first one reported for an insect. This metalloprotease is synthesized as a zymogen of 46.6 kDa which, upon in vitro activation with Lys-C endoproteinase, yields a pro-segment of 91 residues and an active carboxypeptidase moiety of 318 residues. Both regions show a three-dimensional structure quite similar to the corresponding structures in mammalian digestive carboxypeptidases, the most relevant structural differences being located in the loops between conserved secondary structure elements, including the primary activation site. This activation site contains the motif (Ala)(5)Lys at the C terminus of the helix connecting the pro- and the carboxypeptidase domains. A remarkable feature of PCPAHa is the occurrence of the same (Ala)(6)Lys near the C terminus of the active enzyme. The presence of Ser255 in PCPAHa instead of Ile and Asp found in the pancreatic A and B forms, respectively, enlarges the S1' specificity pocket and influences the substrate preferences of the enzyme. The C-terminal tail of the leech carboxypeptidase inhibitor has been modelled into the PCPAHa active site to explore the substrate preferences and the enzymatic mechanism of this enzyme.     

S100 alpha, CAPL, and CACY: molecular cloning and expression analysis of three calcium-binding proteins from human heart.

Elevated levels of intracellular calcium are a major cause of myocardial dysfunction. To find possible mediators of the deregulated calcium we searched for EF-hand calcium-binding proteins of the S100 family. By PCR technology we identified three members of the S100 protein family (S100 alpha, CACY, and CAPL) in the human heart. We cloned the corresponding cDNAs and examined their expression levels in various human tissues by Northern blot analysis. All three proteins are expressed at high levels in the human heart. Whereas CACY and CAPL mRNAs are expressed ubiquitously, S100 alpha mRNA is restricted to heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. Interestingly, the expression pattern of S100 alpha, CACY, and CAPL in human tissues differs significantly from that in rodent tissues.     

Effects of amino acid replacements around the reactive site of chicken ovomucoid domain 3 on the inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin and trypsin.

We have previously shown that replacing the P1-site residue (Ala) of chicken ovomucoid domain 3 (OMCHI3) with a Met or Lys results in the acquisition of inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin or trypsin, respectively. However, the inhibitory activities thus induced are not strong. In the present study, we introduced additional amino acid replacements around the reactive site to try to make the P1-site mutants more effective inhibitors of chymotrypsin or trypsin. The amino acid replacement Asp-->Tyr at the P2' site of OMCHI3(P1Met) resulted in conversion to a 35000-fold more effective inhibitor of chymotrypsin with an inhibitor constant (K(i)) of 1. 17x10(-11) M. The K(i) value of OMCHI3(P1Met, P2'Ala) indicated that the effect on the interaction with chymotrypsin of removing a negative charge from the P2' site was greater than that of introducing an aromatic ring. Similarly, enhanced inhibition of trypsin was observed when the Asp-->Tyr replacement was introduced into the P2' site of OMCHI3(P1Lys). Two additional replacements, Asp-->Ala at the P4 site and Arg-->Ala at the P3' site, made the mutant a more effective inhibitor of trypsin with a K(i) value of 1. 44x10(-9) M. By contrast, Arg-->Ala replacement at the P3' site of OMCHI3(P1Met, P2'Tyr) resulted in a greatly reduced inhibition of chymotrypsin, and Asp-->Ala replacement at the P4 site produced only a small change when compared with a natural variant of OMCHI3. These results clearly indicate that not only the P1-site residue but also the characteristics, particularly the electrostatic properties, of the amino acid residues around the reactive site of the protease inhibitor determine the strength of its interactions with proteases. Furthermore, amino acids with different characteristics are required around the reactive site for strong inhibition of chymotrypsin and trypsin.     

A Novel Flow Cytometric Hemozoin Detection Assay for Real-Time Sensitivity Testing of Plasmodium falciparum

Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to almost all antimalarial drugs, including the first-line treatment with artemisinins, has been described, representing an obvious threat to malaria control. In vitro antimalarial sensitivity testing is crucial to detect and monitor drug resistance. Current assays have been successfully used to detect drug effects on parasites. However, they have some limitations, such as the use of radioactive or expensive reagents or long incubation times. Here we describe a novel assay to detect antimalarial drug effects, based on flow cytometric detection of hemozoin (Hz), which is rapid and does not require any additional reagents. Hz is an optimal parasite maturation indicator since its amount increases as the parasite matures. Due to its physical property of birefringence, Hz depolarizes light, hence it can be detected using optical methods such as flow cytometry. A common flow cytometer was adapted to detect light depolarization caused by Hz. Synchronized in vitro cultures of P. falciparum were incubated for 48 hours with several antimalarial drugs. Analysis of depolarizing events, corresponding to parasitized red blood cells containing Hz, allowed the detection of parasite maturation. Moreover, chloroquine resistance and the inhibitory effect of all antimalarial drugs tested, except for pyrimethamine, could be determined as early as 18 to 24 hours of incubation. At 24 hours incubation, 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were comparable to previously reported values. These results indicate that the reagent-free, real-time Hz detection assay could become a novel assay for the detection of drug effects on Plasmodium falciparum.     

The Biopolymer Markup Language.

SUMMARY: An XML derived from a data model designed to be a hierarchical representation of an organism has been specified and a browser to use this language has been developed. AVAILABILITY: The language definition is available in HTML form at http://www.proteometrics.com/BIOML/. The BioML browser is available on request from the author.